The big day is scheduled for August 5, 2009. I have the date circled on my calendar. I also have July 22nd circled because that is the day I start on the two week pre-op diet – ONLY liquid protein shakes with a few veggies if needed. Nothing else whatsoever is to be eaten. The folks at the gastric bypass office make it 100% clear that if anything else is eaten surgery will be canceled.

I have one more monthly weighin at the office in July 13. As long as I lose some weight the surgery will go ahead as planned. If I do not lose anything, or worse, gain an ounce the surgery will be canceled and I would have to start all over again from day one for another six months of preparation.

The only difference between the pre-op diet and the diet I normally follow is that instead of just protein shakes a couple times a day I have 1 protein bar and a serving of lean protein (either chicken or fish) and the only other thing I eat is veggies.

Of course on the pre-op diet plan I can’t eat very many veggies and the liquid protein will not be as filling as having something solid. I make sure I am always hungry any way, but I am sure that these two weeks are going to be a bit rough to handle and I’ll be a lot more then hungry – more like starving.

But it will all be worthwhile. I am soooooo looking forward to giving up even more food. I make sure I eat as little as possible now (about 800 calories a day), but before the surgery and after I will be able eat even less. It will be a relief to once and for all not be starving and often ravenous while living on next to nothing.

Even though I may never ever lose that much weight, at least after the surgery I won’t have to deal with being hungry for a long, long, long, long time (could be as long as six months to a year). Of course hunger will eventually return, but it will never be as bad as I experience it now, so it will still be better. Plus I will be able to shout from the rooftops do NOT FEED ME EVER!!!!! and no one can argue with me again. I am so sick of people encouraging me to eat, to try this, to have just one bite. Of course I never do! But it is exhausting having the same arguments over and over and over again and to keep explaining over and over and over and over – that I will gain lots and lots of pounds just from ONE bite so STOP trying to get me to taste something or take a break for a day. Once I have my surgery I can tell the world to leave me alone forever – no more trying to get me to celebrate a birthday with tiny piece of cake, no more trying to get me to have a lick of an ice cream cone.

And before any one freaks out, please rest assured everything I eat now is approved and supervised by the doctors at the gastric bypass office. After the surgery food intake is also monitored weekly for several months, and afterwards followups scheduled every few months to be sure everything is ok and I’m following the diet guidelines, and after that an annual checkup is scheduled.

I also know that Gastric Bypass Surgery is not a miracle cure. It is only a tool. I will still need to be the one in charge and in control to keep my food intake to a bare minimum for life. However, at least having the tool (“pouch” after gastric bypass surgery) I will be able to live my life with a lot less hunger and the daily battle to not eat anything but a little protein and some veggies will be easier.

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